The Proper Stance

As you look around the baseball and softball world, you will see all types of different stances.  From Little League to the Major Leagues the stances will vary.  As a young player it is good to initially experiment with different types of stances. I’ve heard Ted Williams says that he would see a new player come into the league and like something this player was doing with his stance and he would try it.  He always went back to what he was comfortable with buy he wasn’t afraid to try something new.

You shouldn’t be afraid to try new things, but at the same time you should not be changing your stance everyday.  Find a stance that is comfortable and workable and stick with it.  When something is no longer working for you, make and adjustment!

Hitting Philosophy: Aggressive Under Control

This is the philosophy I teach and naturally I strongly believe it is the correct one.  If you would like to see this exemplified as a team philosophy, just look at the Oakland A’s, the Yankees, and the Boston Red Sox.  From an individual aspect, hitters who use this philosophy are many of the top hitters you see in the Major Leagues who have high base on ball numbers as well as a high on base percentage.

Individual examples: Several players who exemplify this philosophy in action are: Jason Giambi, Barry Bonds, Jim Thome, Bernie Williams, Manny Ramirez, and Eric Chavez; the list goes on and on.  Recognize the fact that these hitters are also among the top ten in base on balls.  Look at this list of hitters and ask yourself if you think they go up to the plate looking for a walk… of course not.  The walk is a by-product of having a good strike zone and not giving in to the pitcher by swinging at his pitch.  Unfortunately, most littler league and high school coaches think walks show a lack of aggressiveness.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  It is not that any of these individuals (or teams, for that matter) are not aggressive; these are some of the most aggressive hitters in the league but also the most disciplined.

Hitters that consistently swing and make outs early in the count are actually fearful hitters.  They fear striking out.  They’ll hit the first thing close that they see.  Contrast this to the confident hitters who do not fear getting deep in the count and making the pitcher work.  This philosophy gives you the best of both worlds, that is, if you’re disciplined enough and mentally tough enough to use it.

Enhance Your Performance… Use the Golden Rule

I continue to get complaints from players about how they are treated by parents and/or coaches that hamper performance.  An athlete can and will perform better if in a positive environment in the home and on the field.  Negativity breeds negativity,. which severely affects the talent of players and teams.  Positive programming has the best chance of producing peak performance.  I am not discounting the need for discipline;  however, it can be done in a firm but diplomatic way, so that the athlete’s self image is not  damaged.  Athletes are adept at reading verbal and non-verbal language.

If players are told that they are okay, but body language conflicts with that statement, they will believe the latter.  An athlete’s confidence can be seriously impaired with no words spoken, with non-verbal assaults.  Negative facial expressions, hands on hips, kicking the dirt, cursing under the breath, the silent treatment, etc., are ways of showing rejection.  Coaches, parents and fans, do you want your athlete(s) to perform to the best of their abilities?  Then support them, accept them unconditionally, encourage them to have fun, and you will witness not only happier, but more  productive sports participants.  With no need for a long list of imposed rules and regulations, just make it simple–treat them as you would have others treat you!  Unconditional support cannot belegislated, it must come from the heart.

HEAD GAMES is a holistic approach to sports and life generally, that inspires and motivates athletes and coaches to excel on and off the field.  Based upon positive feedback from athletes, coaches and parents from across the nation, the results continue to amaze.

Great Pre-Game Drills

Question:

I recently read in Mike Schmidt’s book that his favorite drill for hitters is “pepper”. What are your thoughts on playing “pepper” as a way to develop the hands, bat control, etc.?

Answer:

Pepper will develop bat control if played the correct way. Use no more than three fielders and one hitter at a time. Have the hitter hit one hoppers to each fielder, do not allow them to use more than one ball. If the hitter hits the ball past the fielder the hitter must go get the ball. This is an incentive for the hitter to have good bat control. Of course if the fielder makes the error he must retrieve the ball.

As they become proficient at the short pepper move two of the fielders back to about twenty yards and have one of the fielders throw to the hitter at the regular short distance, the hitter must now hit long pepper to each of the fielders. This helps them to develop bat control along with the proper bat angle. We have our hitters play pepper on a daily basis.

Keep it Simple: See the Ball – Hit the Ball

A baseball bat at its widest is three and three quarters inches in diameter.  A ball comes toward the hitter at the speed of 80-90 plus miles per hour.  A 90 MPH fastball reaches the plate in four-tenths of a second.  The hitter has just about one-tenth of a second to pick up the ball.  However good your mechanics may be, you won’t success if I blindfold you.  First things first, see the ball!

Your eyes tell your brain how to react, if your eyes aren’t seeing the ball well, you are not going to be able to react properly to the ball.  Since you only have four-tenths of second to recognize, react and execute the swing on an average fastball, you need to learn how to track the ball.

Driving the Ball to the Opposite Field

The reason why it is difficult to hit the ball for power on the outside part of the plate is because you have to make contact with this pitch deeper in the contact zone.  This doesn’t give you as much time to reach maximum velocity.  When you do see a hitter that does hit the outside pitch to the pull side for a homerun, it doesn’t mean he got around the ball, it just means he hit the ball out front and stayed on the ball longer.  Most players can’t do this because of their lack of strength.

For young hitters is very important to learn how to handle the pitch on the outside part of the plate.  If you are handling this pitch your mechanics are sound.  Many times a hitter can pull off driving the outside pitch to the opposite field he is staying on the ball with his front side and letting the ball travel, these are two things that are difficult for young hitters because most want to go out and get the ball as oppose to letting the ball come to them.

Hitting with the Right Bat Angle

Let’s talk about the bat angle.  At what angle should you have the bat?  Should it be up at a 90 degree angle?  Should you tilt it back towards the catcher?  What is most comfortable for you?  The most efficient place to put the bat is at a 45 degree angle behind your back shoulder.  This is the best position to launch the bat from.

It is the most efficient way to get the bat through the zone.  Since this is hard to see you may either use the mirror drill or have a coach help you with this.  The reason why I don’t recommend a 90 degree bat angle is because in order to hi, you must first get the bat into a 45 degree bat angle.  If you start at 90 degrees, you will cause unnecessary movement to get the 45 degree angle that is necessary to swing from.